


The Homicide Gardens II

by HomicideGarden



Series: The Homicide Gardens [2]
Category: Team Fortress 2
Genre: M/M, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Burn, Vampirism
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-04
Updated: 2019-04-24
Packaged: 2019-07-25 00:58:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,864
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16186772
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HomicideGarden/pseuds/HomicideGarden
Summary: A struggle between a man of eternal damnation and a toymaker.





	1. Chapter 1

_My wife died_.

 

The words echoed loudly in Sniper's head. He swore the room started to swim as he grimaced, looking away from the man sitting on the stool. Taking in a deep breath, he exhaled slowly, his eyes flicking back up to Engineer. The man seemed to just be a mess, his shoulders shuddering as he took in weak breaths. Sniper clenched his fist and loosened it as he approached, albeit slowly. It was still a struggle to get him to move with the pain that shot throughout his entire body.

 

Engineer looked back to the letter he held in his hands, an official note from the hospital informing him of his wife's passing. He hardly reacted when Sniper was right beside him, his hand moving to touch his shoulder and give it a firm squeeze.

 

"Oi didn't... Know ya had a wife."

 

Sniper sounded pained, it hurt to talk, but it also hurt to say such a word. Fucking hurt like getting a faceful of a metal bat. Engineer hardly spoke, but he chuckled weakly.

 

"We... Were married for twenty years, Snipes... She got real sick one day and I... Signed up for a job here. Been sendin' money to her for her medical bills and treatment. But I... I guess..."

 

Sniper could hear Engineer starting to break down, his voice cracking and his body trembling under Sniper's firm hand. He groaned internally, he hated when others cried, it made him feel alien. Made him feel heartless. He hardly cried and if he did, he never showed anyone. He wasn't the type to go ahead and be comforting towards another when they were wounded or upset. It just wasn't his thing.

 

But this was... Someone he  _wanted_ to comfort. And, damn it if it made him soft, he was going to comfort Engineer.

 

"Oi'm... Sorry t' hear that, mate. Oi bet she was a great wife."

 

 _Wife_. That word burned his tongue, making him lick his lips uneasily. If only he had known he wasn't what he thought he was, he would have left a long time ago. But now he was in too deep, he couldn't go back now. His dead heart ached when he was apart from Engineer. And he was way too stubborn to admit it to anyone, including himself.

 

Engineer's hands trembled as he turned back to the desk, resting his elbows as he gripped the letter more firmly. Seemed shit was hitting the fan lately, more so after Sniper showed up that one night, seeking solace in the depths of the cellar. Maybe it was Sniper that brought nothing but despair and unending pain. After all, it was Sniper who would hurt Engineer, and Engineer still pushed himself to help the man regardless of what he did.

 

"I... I need to leave for a few days... To... Pick her up..."

 

Engineer could hardly speak past a whisper, but Sniper's ears picked up every word. Sniper moved to grip his shoulder tighter and looked away.

 

"Oi'm here if ya need someone. Pyro too."

 

He said softly as he looked up to see Pyro leaning on the railing, being quiet and partially hidden. He slipped away when he met eyes with Sniper. Looking back to Engineer, he moved to pull over a bucket and sat down on it beside Engineer. His legs were starting to shake and couldn't support his weight. Holding the blood bag in his hands, he sighed quietly and remained quiet.

 

Nothing was said between the two of them, sharing the pain of silence and broken hearts. It wasn't long until Engineer was sniffling and trying to stay quiet as he started to cry again. It was loud in Sniper's ears, and normally he would scowl and march out somewhere where he wouldn't have to listen to the pathetic wails of a fully grown man. But this just wasn't any grown man, this was Engineer. A man who lost his wife. He couldn't ignore that, as much as it ached and stabbed his heart to hear and watch.

 

Hesitation filled his features as he let his fingers twitch on the blood bag as he listened, eyes downcast. He didn't know what to do, what to say. He wasn't good at comforting since all he did was bring pain. Glancing up slowly, his orange eyes glinting in the low light, he reached out with his bandaged hand, which was for sure by now healed completely, and grazed it over Engineer's leg.

 

Flinching from the sudden touch, Engineer looked to Sniper, who drew his hand back slightly, as if he was slapped. Sniper couldn't meet his eyes with Engineer's melancholic blue ones, making him shift uncomfortably. Engineer moved his hand to rest over Sniper's, soon squeezing it as he continued to lament over the news of his wife's passing. Sniper winced at the strange feeling he got from the contact but moved to hold Engineer's hand as a way to comfort the man.

 

Sniper said nothing as he sat there beside the Engineer, holding his hand as his sobs died down to small tremors and sniffles, his blue eyes locked onto the words on the tear-stained paper. Sniper eventually looked up when he was calming down, hearing his heart beating at his usual rate, save for a few speedups and slowdowns. The air was still very heavy, and Sniper felt like he could barely breathe, a heavy weight on his chest and heart. He couldn't imagine what the weight felt like for Engineer, though. It had to be a couple of hundred tons.

 

"Snipes..."

 

Sniper blinked and let out a small hum of acknowledgment as he looked away.

 

"Thank you..."

 

He scowled and let out a small growl as if annoyed by the thank-you. Again, he didn't care for them. But this one he would accept. He looked up to him and rolled his eyes at him.

 

"No problem, mate. OI know ya'd do the same for me."

 

Engineer sniffled and gave him a small, sad smile. Sniper looked away again as he bared his teeth slightly. He hated this. Sitting here and being all... All fucking  _soft_. Ugh. Made him want to throw up. But he couldn't deny the warm feeling he got in his chest. His dead heart hadn't felt that feeling for decades...

 

Engineer sighed and stood, pulling his hand away from Sniper as he wiped at his eyes. Sniper watched him, his fingers flexing now that it was empty.

 

"I... Should get some rest... I have a long day tomorrow and I need all the energy I can get. Gotta drive to town."

 

Sniper narrowed his eyes in slight confusion.

 

"She was in town?"

 

Engineer chuckled weakly.

 

"Gods, no. The letter said they were sending her remains to the postal office for me to do what I wished with them."

 

Sniper let out a small sound of understanding and soon stood, his knees trembling as he did so. He grabbed Engineer's arm as it was outstretched to grab him if he fell. He winced and huffed.

 

"Oi shoulda just stayed downstairs, damn it."

 

He cursed, but Engineer simply chuckled and sniffled.

 

"C'mon, Snipes. I'll get ya back downstairs."

 

Sniper hardly muttered a thank-you as he was guided to the stairwell. It was a slow and painful trip down each step, he was afraid he would miss and fall on his face. Wouldn't that be embarrassing... Once reaching the bottom of the stairs, Sniper felt faint and weak, his body coated with a small film of sweat as he panted. Engineer was alarmed by how easily he was out of breath, but gently urged him to the sleeping bags and helped him lay down.

 

Once flat, Sniper let out a small groan, his body relaxing against the sleeping bag and blankets. His eyes almost fell closed by how much he had overexerted himself. He cursed himself, should have just stayed downstairs and minded his own damn business. Instead, he had to get involved. This would have been so much easier if he hadn't ever shown up at his door and insisting he stayed in the cellar and seeing his goddamn garden.

 

 _Garden_...

 

He glanced to Engineer as he hung the blood bag back up where it was hanging prior, soon sitting down beside him and crossing his arms. His orange eyes glowed brightly in the darkness, both from pain and curiosity.

 

"Is there a way that oi can be able to see yer garden without ya tryin' t' burn me alive?"

 

The plump man was caught by surprise and he sniffled, rubbing his neck as he thought for a moment.

 

"We could use t' lantern. Torch... I can't just install new lights in the room, it'd be a waste of money and electricity."

 

Sniper hummed quietly and rested his hands on his bare chest, his fingers felt cold against his skin.

 

"The lantern is fine. Torch too."

 

"Maybe tomorrow we can see if ya are healthy enough to go upstairs. I would really love t' show ya my garden. Without ya gettin' hurt."

 

Sniper looked away from Engineer when he offered him a small smile, it soon disappearing as Sniper scowled. But he sighed softly, closing his eyes.

 

"Oi would like that."


	2. Chapter 2

Sniper woke up to the feeling of someone unwrapping his bandaged arm, making him crack an eye open and give a low growl. The light of the lantern didn't help him much, his eyes glossy and crusted with sleep. How long was he out this time?

 

"Easy, Snipes, just me."

 

The voice of the Engineer said softly as he continued to unwrap his arm, the Sniper relaxing more into the sleeping bag as he sighed. Licking his lips free of sleep and dried drool, he closed his eyes.

 

"How long was oi out this time?"

 

"Well, it's the next day, actually."

 

Sniper cracked open an eye again, looking at the man beside him as he felt the cold, stale air hit his exposed skin. It had healed wonderfully and it was as if he never was burned. His face looked a lot better as well. Hardly a trace of that dreadful day. His eyes traced down the foreman's body to his hands on his arm, fingers gently peeling away the old, tattered gauze. Engineer seemed surprised at how smooth his skin was after the burn, it shouldn't be that way. He would know, Pyro often let him help him with his burns, applying a cream to sooth the ghost pains.

 

Sniper didn't know what to say to that answer, so he settled for humming and closing his eye to just... Imagine his fingers on his skin, the warmth seeping into his bones. It wasn't until he felt a sharp pain that he winced, teeth bared as he gave a small growl. A quiet, feeble apology was said and the Sniper calmed down, enough to will his eyes open to see what was going on.

 

Engineer was undressing his wounds at the middle, cleaning it off with a damp towel and applying clean dressing and gauze. He caught a glimpse of his wound, the staples holding him together, but the bruising around the wound was downright nasty. It spread out like a puddle, nearly snaking up his chest and to his navel, making him grunt in disgust. How could he have been so careless? That medic was someone on his list now, to silence before he chattered out that he was a creature of eternal damnation.

 

"Looks pretty bad, don't it?"

 

Engineer asked as he looked to Sniper, having caught him scowling at his wound.

 

"Yeah. A stupid, fuckin' mistake oi made. Kinda wished oi died. Dunno why oi came back 'ere."

 

Sniper replied grimly as he moved to sit up with a pained grunt, the needles stabbing their way up his spine to his neck. He felt stiff, and he never liked feeling stiff. Told him he didn't move much that day, and he was always active. The itch to do something productive stung in his veins like acid. He had to do  _something_.

 

"Snipes, ya shouldn't be gettin' up so soon! Py says it's gonna take a while for that to heal up proper."

 

He closed his mouth the minute Sniper gave him a narrowed look, his teeth bared as if warning him not to tell him what to do. A frown came across his features as he soon huffed, moving to continue wrapping the wound more since he was seated up.

 

"Fine. If ya bleed all over the place, don't come cryin' t' me!"

 

Engineer said with a huff as he purposefully dug a finger into his wound, making the Sniper hiss and growl. A small curse escaped his lips as he glared at the plump man before him.  _Motherfucker_.

 

"Oi just... Oi gotta move. Oi hate stayin' still, it makes me stiff and oi don't wanna be stuck in a damn, fuckin' nasty cellar."

 

Sniper said with a mutter, through clenched teeth as Engineer hummed in slight understanding. He knew the feeling all too well. After a match, if he didn't do some of his workout routines, he'd wake up feeling stiff as a board and he didn't like that. It made him slow, made hauling his sentries painful. At least he had an idea as he finished up wrapping the clean gauze.

 

"How about ya come with me t' town?"

 

Engineer purposed as he glanced to the orange orbs that looked at him, slightly in surprise and uncertainty.

 

"I gotta go t' town for a few days and I... Wouldn't mind some company. I mean, you're not fit to fight right now so maybe it'll do ya some good to get out and walk around. Plus, Py can't babysit you all the time when he's gotta work so that's my job now."

 

"Did you just say fuckin'  _babysit_?"

 

Engineer rolled his eyes and glanced at Sniper, who had a massive frown on his face and curled lips. How  _dare_ he say he had to put up with him like he was some kind of... Some kind of  _child_! But his face burned and he huffed, looking away and crossing his arms over his chest. Wincing as he accidentally applied an elbow to his bandaged wound.

 

"Fine. Oi'll go with ya. Oi ain't gonna like it since oi can't go out durin' th' day."

  
He mutters as he glances to Engineer, who leans back against the crate and hums in thought. His gloved hand to his chin as he's thinking about it.

 

"I do know a coupla stores that are usually open all night long, and when t' sun goes down we can go t' them. Maybe I'll cook ya some meals or we can find a place t' eat. Ya could sleep in the tub in the motel."

 

He offers as Sniper snorts at the prospect of sleeping in the damn  _tub_. But the Sniper is soon quiet as he's thinking about it as well. Engineer can see the gears turning in his mind as the orange glow is focused on the floor, his fingers tapping against his forearm in concentration.

 

"My offer stands if ya wanna get out and outta this place. I ain't gonna force ya."

 

The Texan says as he shifts with a grunt, gathering all the gauze and dressing into his arms. Sniper watches him, the way he moves and the way his clothing shifts. The way his blood runs through his body as he does simple tasks. He blinks up at the other when he sees the rotund man make his way past him.

 

"Uh, yeah! Oi mean, yeah. Oi'll go."

 

He says almost too quickly, scowling at himself as his cheeks and tips of his ears burn a bit pink. Engineer doesn't notice, the lantern light is far too dim for him to see. Sniper watches as he starts to accend the stairs before he slowly rises, the world swimming around him before he sits back down. Yeah, ain't no way he was getting up anytime soon. A hand to his head as he scowls, the pain in his side a dull throb as his stomach twists in knots, begging to be fed something other than the blood that was being let into his arm.

 

Thankfully, he could smell the gas from the stove above and the sizzling of bacon being prepared. Enough to make his mouth water and the corners of his lips turn into a small smile.

 

 _What did oi ever do to deserve yer kindness_?


	3. Chapter 3

After the three had settled down together upstairs, the Sniper having held the bag on his lap as he ate, he watched as the Engineer went ahead to pack a few things. The duffle bag was old and green, worn out in patches covered with those cheap, iron on patches. Some were flowers, some were clouds. He explained bashfully that they were cheap and all they had. Sniper was about to say something but decided to keep his mouth shut.

 

"Anythin' ya need to bring with ya?"

 

Sniper arched a brow at the question, still seated since he was relatively weak. Did he need to bring anything? No, not really. Unless you counted his shiv, then maybe he could go out and stalk for a meal. Then again, he wouldn't need to eat for a week or so thanks to all the blood he had consumed and had transfused. So he settled with shaking his head.

 

"Alrighty then."

 

The plump man would hum, gathering some clothes and extra wraps, just in case his stitches popped and he had to be put back together. Or taken to the hospital in town.

 

"Just so ya know, we're gonna be gone for three days. Have a lot of paperwork to do and then get my wife's ashes, then we come back. That fine with you?"

 

The man would cast a glance to the afflicted, catching his glowing orange orbs fixated on him. Sniper looked away with a small grunt, his lips twisting into a small growl.

 

"Oi don't care."

 

His voice was a grumble, his arms crossed tightly over his middle as if he was afraid if he released the pressure, his intestines would just spill out onto the floor. He's had it happen once before and he wasn't a fan of it happening again. Engineer glanced to the Pyro, who seemed sad that they were going to leave him alone, but perked up and gave a thumbs up. He wasn't too worried about the firebug, he would be just fine. Hell, Soldier had promised him to help with his airblast training with duds.

 

Engineer packed everything up tight, standing and stretching his back with a groan. He was just so damn stiff, he needed to work out more, he thought. Sniper watched, the orange orbs watching with bright intensity. Maybe he should do something for him, repay him back for all this undeserved kindness he had been spoonfed.

 

Sniper stood with an unsteady set of legs and grunted, angry that he was so damn weak. He really was going to show that deranged murderer a thing or two at a later date. He hoped to _God_ he didn't have anything silver. He was deathly allergic to it, among other things. But no one needed to know until they tried it on him. And that wasn't going to be happening anytime soon according to the afflicted.

 

He snapped out of his thoughts when the Engineer shuffled past, watching him before following after. Before he could walk past the Pyro and to the door, he was stopped by the firebug.

 

"Whaddya want?"

 

He would sneer, only to watch the man take his arm and pull out the IV, adding a cotton ball and a bandaid that sparkled in a multitude of rainbows and had small, white puffy clouds. The afflicted scowled and looked absolutely disgusted. Fucking _great_.

 

"Yeah, yeah, thanks. Whatever."

 

He wanted nothing more than to tear that bandaid off and just lick at the wound to heal it instantaneously, but he had gone soft and decided to just leave it on to make the damn thing happy. He shuddered inwardly before following after the Engineer, his body getting stronger the more he moved.

 

Peering outside, he was thankful it was sunset, the sun hardly touching the outside of the workshop, so he was safe from harm. Watching the shorter, stockier man hobble into a side shed, he trailed after. Mostly because he'd rather not be alone with the firebug who could easily roast him into next week. Besides, he was, what would you say,  _worried_ for the other. Yes,  _worried_.

 

_Goin' fuckin' soft._

 

Sniper would scowl at himself, scratching lightly at his chest, being mindful of the bandages before he walked past the double barn doors and paused. He couldn't remember the last time he saw an old, vintage 1955 F100 Ford truck, red. He adored old style trucks and seemed in awe at the great condition it was kept in, moving right up to the hood and to run a hand over its red finish.

 

"Ain't she a beaut?"

 

Engineer would ask as he tossed the duffle bag into the bed, leaning against the side of it as he watched the Sniper's childlike wonder. He couldn't help but smile at how the Sniper soon scowled and pulled his hand away.

 

"At least it runs."

 

He grumbles, his cheeks and tips of his ears turning a light shade of pink in embarrassment. He hated showing any signs of weakness, and his surprise to see a truck like this one in such great shape caught him off guard.

 

"It should. I rebuilt it."

 

Engineer would chuckle as he shuffled back out and past the afflicted, jabbing a thumb at the truck.

 

"Go on, have a look. I gotta get some small things and I'll be right out."

 

Sniper watched him, eyes squinting in suspicion before he just hummed in reply. As the man walked off, he returned his attention to the truck. It was a nice shade of red; not too bright and not too dark. It had a nice silver trim, sturdy wheels and the bed was wood, pine. The inside was leather, white seats with red trim. The dash was also pine wood. A big, classic white steering wheel completed the vintage look. Sniper was pleased and hummed, impressed with the Engineer's handiwork. He was really good with his hands...

 

His face warmed, clearing his throat as he pinched between his eyes. Now was not the time to think about what else his hands were good at. He already felt how tender and warm they were, he didn't need to get a hardon on the way up either. He prayed to  _God_ he wouldn't. He wanted to behave himself, get back here and go back to the way things were.

 

Being alone.


	4. Chapter 4

Once everything was packed up and in the bed of the truck, the two bid farewell to the firebug, climbing into the truck and finally taking off. The Pyro waved them off, mumbling a farewell and to take care of Sniper.

 

The two stayed on their own side of the cab, not even looking at one another for the first twenty minutes before Engineer glanced to the afflicted. His look of boredom soon crossed with worry as the Sniper seemed to be white-knuckling the passenger door handle, his face pale.

 

"You alright, Snipes?"

 

The Engineer would ask with caution, the Sniper looking over to him, his face looking like he saw a ghost.

 

"Oi think imma vomit."

 

"Please not in the car!"

 

Engineer would say in a panic as the Sniper put a hand to his mouth, his body lurching a bit. Twisting the wheel, they pulled over, flashers flicking every second as the passenger side door was flung open. Sniper stumbled out and into the ditch, falling to his knees and just heaving up everything he ate.

 

"Fuck..."

 

Sniper would moan as he coughed, soon heaving up more, an arm tight around his middle to try and keep himself from popping his stitches. It was a wonder he hadn't already with how much he was moving around. His body tensed, muscles taut as he felt a weight on his back, head snapping to look at the man beside him before he relaxed. Fucking hell, he scared him.

 

"You alright?"

 

Engineer would ask, a look of worry on his face as he frowned. He didn't know what he could do to help the Sniper, other than just offer him a bottle of water. Thankfully, the Sniper wasn't going to be stubborn and took the bottle. He would have snatched it if he was his old, snarky self, but he was in so much pain, he couldn't be bothered. Watching the man open the bottle, he took a big drink and swished, spitting it out with a hiss and groan.

 

"Oi dunno... Oi think oi got carsick."

 

That was a laugh, especially for the Sniper. He didn't remember the last time he rode in a vehicle. Maybe it was because the road wasn't really paved for a few miles and rickety. He couldn't even remember how he got to the mountainside of Sawmill, did he walk? Was he flown in?  Hell, it had been so long, it must have not been important enough to remember.

 

"Well, that's a problem."

 

The man said as he sighed, moving to pat his back as the Sniper swished again before spitting out. He licked his lips and huffed. Just  _great_. He wished it would have been a smooth ride, but no, it  _had_ to be miserable.

 

"Do yah got a bucket or somethin' oi can use?"

 

"I think so. You sure you want to come along? I can take you back."

 

"Don't make me punch you."

 

Engineer held up his hands in defeat and got up, moving to look in the bed to see if he had some bucket or pail for him to use for the rest of the trip. They would have to stop at a pump to get some gasoline and some more water for the afflicted. Maybe clean out that bucket or just buy a new one. They'd find out what they would need to do by the time they got there.

 

Sniper watched him, sitting down fully in the ditch as he drank more of the water. Seemed that plump man knew what to do at the worst times, he was a godsend, really. Sniper didn't know why he even bothered with a man who drank from him and would easily kill him without batting an eye. Then again, he didn't know why he kept him alive in the first place. He was drawn to this fat man, this... Man who was nothing but kind and gentle. The man who saved his life.  _Twice_.

 

He had to repay him somehow. Maybe during the next humiliation round, he'd slaughter anyone that laid their filthy hands on him, show them that they weren't allowed to touch the man with him present. And he knew he wasn't going to leave his side at all, so they'd learn to back off. Spies, though, would be a different problem.

 

Drawn out of his thoughts, he looked up at the shorter man as he held a small pail.

 

"Not much, but it'll do."

 

Sniper stood up shakily, wincing as he felt the tug of his skin on the stitches and huffed. He really wanted to just have the Engineer bury him in a coffin for a few nights while he recovered. But that was old school recovery. He wasn't in that era anymore.

 

"Good enough."

 

He would growl as he snatched the bucket and stood there, his vision swimming before he turned and retched once more into the ditch. A small string of curses followed after. Sniper glanced to the short, stocky man as he could hear him chuckling.

 

"C'mon, you can try to sleep on the way, maybe that'll help."

 

Engineer would say with a shake of his head. It was strange to see him without his goggles and hardhat. The blond peach fuzz was somewhat adorable on that square face. The baby-blue eyes were a nice contrast, as well. Sniper just rolled his eyes, trying to distract himself as he stood again, shaking his head to rid the black splotches and hobbled to the open passenger side door.

 

Engineer hopped back into the driver side and buckled up, looking and waiting for the Sniper to get settled in before he would pull back onto the road.

 

Sniper heeded his advice and shifted to lie down somewhat, head tucked against the Engineer's thigh, eyes sliding shut as he had the bucket on the floor between them. He hoped he wouldn't have to vomit again, it burned the shit out of his throat and his insides felt more fucked up than they already were.

 

His eyes blinked open, vision blurry as he glanced up somewhat when he heard the Engineer start to hum along to the radio. Despite being carsick, his eyes fell back shut and he didn't wake again.


End file.
